little follow-up war whine
Some law student emailed me while back with some questions, and after it was all said and done she told me she supported the troops. And I know a lot of people share that sentiment and it's all really warm and fuzzy and whatnot, but honestly, I just rather you run out, sign up and catch the early-bird charter to Kuwait and get your ass over here ASAP so one of us can go home. Maybe we can arrange something, you know, by ones and twos and so on, pretty sure we could get all us over-extended types outta here in no time.
We got, by estimates, close to forty-thousand plus Joes involuntarily extended, stop lossed they call it now, cause dropping INVOLUNTARILY extended day after day after day I suppose places too much emphasis on the fact that a whole buncha us got stuck in the shit INVOLUNTARILY... cause, for all you non-incarcerated types, the usual nomenclature for being stuck in the service beyond your time is--used to be--INVOLUNTARY extension. Cept they had to twist the rules all outta whack and shit to keep the machine all lubed and oiled and chugging and belching and churning out the mayhem, and somehow, rather mysteriously it seems to me at least, with all that good ol' troop lovin' shit goin' on back home they couldna find the 40K + dudes and dudettes to get us squared away and outta this mess. Thanks for the love yo.
And I know I know, spare me the retort... "Dude, is what you signed up for." Right. I signed up for THIS. Sadist's circus. Marquis de Sade's Head-Chopping Ball-Blasting Brigade. Lemme assure you, if I had read some short-timer's Internet lament and that fucker would've had the common decency to point out that the Army is more like a three-ring circus butcher-shop motor vehicles prison typa clustertastrophy I mighta thought twice before lending my body to the cause of someone else's mocracy-buildin' wet dreams.
If I ever make it outta this mess, when I make it out, I'll make sure to support the troops likewise. I'll realize my lifelong dream of washing up in a yuppie burb and my kiddies just done wrap up their SATs in high style and Stamfurd or Princetum are in the works and I'll kick their fuckin' asses if I ever even catch 'em looking sideways at anything related to the military. Them having other priorities and shit and their talents being needed elsewhere and whatnot. Of course, we'll all support the military all the time. Course. We'll be havin' yellow ribbon shit on all our stuff, little flaggies everywhere and yonder, and we'll smilingly fork over that good tax shit to support the state's burgeoning quest to keep us all safe from evildoer motherfuckers. If I ever see a legless vet with a board around his neck all 'Help a homeless Iraq veteran' I'll be first to toss some quarters at the dude. Battle bros for life and all. And if I read about a couple-a-thou of the troops being INVOLUNTARILY extended, or stop lossed, or held over, or stuck in the muck, or jacked, or whatever they call it by then, I'll be all supportin' the troops and lamenting their sad tragic fate and misfortune. Maybe slap on an extra couple-a-yellow ribbons. Show support ya know.
As for war, course I'll support it. I'll support all the wars, all the time. Once I'm out of the shit, I'll support every war they ever wanna throw. Hell yeah! Why? Why? Cause nothing looks badder-ass and is more entertaining on television than live mayhem. I fuckin' love televised mayhem. Love it. It's the shit. Splosions and riots and gun battles and mob violence and jets launching from aircraft carriers. I could watch the shit for days. And have. Course... sittin' in the back of the ol' Hummer hauling ass toward a column of smoke couple-a-blocks down and your asshole up in your throat from fear and ready to fuckup any dumb fucker out there skulking around waiting to pour on some follow-up misery... "See anything suspicious, anything at all, do not hesitate. Drop every single last one-a-the-motherfuckers, every single last one!" I holler to clarify the so-called tactical purdicament, more to myself really, cause I think we're all pretty much of one mind on shit like that... and rushing into the shit, I imagine watching it on teevee, remote, disconnected, my ass snuggly embedded in a recliner of sorts--embedded get it?--stead of out here, actually in the shit, with a bigass target painted across the eyes... Better ta just sperience it with a remote control in one hand and a bag of Doritos in the other a few sloppy thousand miles away and not really speriencing it at all, more, enjoying it. Entertainmentwise.
More later.
We got, by estimates, close to forty-thousand plus Joes involuntarily extended, stop lossed they call it now, cause dropping INVOLUNTARILY extended day after day after day I suppose places too much emphasis on the fact that a whole buncha us got stuck in the shit INVOLUNTARILY... cause, for all you non-incarcerated types, the usual nomenclature for being stuck in the service beyond your time is--used to be--INVOLUNTARY extension. Cept they had to twist the rules all outta whack and shit to keep the machine all lubed and oiled and chugging and belching and churning out the mayhem, and somehow, rather mysteriously it seems to me at least, with all that good ol' troop lovin' shit goin' on back home they couldna find the 40K + dudes and dudettes to get us squared away and outta this mess. Thanks for the love yo.
And I know I know, spare me the retort... "Dude, is what you signed up for." Right. I signed up for THIS. Sadist's circus. Marquis de Sade's Head-Chopping Ball-Blasting Brigade. Lemme assure you, if I had read some short-timer's Internet lament and that fucker would've had the common decency to point out that the Army is more like a three-ring circus butcher-shop motor vehicles prison typa clustertastrophy I mighta thought twice before lending my body to the cause of someone else's mocracy-buildin' wet dreams.
If I ever make it outta this mess, when I make it out, I'll make sure to support the troops likewise. I'll realize my lifelong dream of washing up in a yuppie burb and my kiddies just done wrap up their SATs in high style and Stamfurd or Princetum are in the works and I'll kick their fuckin' asses if I ever even catch 'em looking sideways at anything related to the military. Them having other priorities and shit and their talents being needed elsewhere and whatnot. Of course, we'll all support the military all the time. Course. We'll be havin' yellow ribbon shit on all our stuff, little flaggies everywhere and yonder, and we'll smilingly fork over that good tax shit to support the state's burgeoning quest to keep us all safe from evildoer motherfuckers. If I ever see a legless vet with a board around his neck all 'Help a homeless Iraq veteran' I'll be first to toss some quarters at the dude. Battle bros for life and all. And if I read about a couple-a-thou of the troops being INVOLUNTARILY extended, or stop lossed, or held over, or stuck in the muck, or jacked, or whatever they call it by then, I'll be all supportin' the troops and lamenting their sad tragic fate and misfortune. Maybe slap on an extra couple-a-yellow ribbons. Show support ya know.
As for war, course I'll support it. I'll support all the wars, all the time. Once I'm out of the shit, I'll support every war they ever wanna throw. Hell yeah! Why? Why? Cause nothing looks badder-ass and is more entertaining on television than live mayhem. I fuckin' love televised mayhem. Love it. It's the shit. Splosions and riots and gun battles and mob violence and jets launching from aircraft carriers. I could watch the shit for days. And have. Course... sittin' in the back of the ol' Hummer hauling ass toward a column of smoke couple-a-blocks down and your asshole up in your throat from fear and ready to fuckup any dumb fucker out there skulking around waiting to pour on some follow-up misery... "See anything suspicious, anything at all, do not hesitate. Drop every single last one-a-the-motherfuckers, every single last one!" I holler to clarify the so-called tactical purdicament, more to myself really, cause I think we're all pretty much of one mind on shit like that... and rushing into the shit, I imagine watching it on teevee, remote, disconnected, my ass snuggly embedded in a recliner of sorts--embedded get it?--stead of out here, actually in the shit, with a bigass target painted across the eyes... Better ta just sperience it with a remote control in one hand and a bag of Doritos in the other a few sloppy thousand miles away and not really speriencing it at all, more, enjoying it. Entertainmentwise.
More later.
posted by american short-timer at Wednesday, December 07, 2005
16 Comments:
I think this "involuntary extension" shit is breach of fuckin' contract (see, one sentence, and the word "fuck" is falling off my fingers onto the keyboard, you're a genius shortster!) I think someone needs to fuckin' SUE. You are being deprived of your liberty without due process. This is a violation of your fucking constitutional rights, man.
Rage against the machine!
And If I could, I'd come to 'Raq for Christmas. Come out there with a key and hand it to the first civilian I saw and say, "Here, here's your country back. We're going home now. Watch out for those dictators, man. Good fuckin' luck."
right on--"I support the troops" has become pretty hollow, and rightly so. Because no one doesn't support the troops. It has no meaning. I support the troops. Let's keep getting them blown up by IEDs-- don't worry, they're getting blown up for democracy.
Walk away as soon as you can, AST. It's the answer for most things. Walk away and leave the supporters of the war to sort out the mess. Hand back the poisoned chalice to those who mixed the brew and ask them to take a sip.
Charlie
Hey, man. I just want to let you know that no matter what I think about this war, you guys and gals over there are the cat's ass.
Come home soon, in one piece, and in the meantime know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Ohh, stoploss. The word still causes shivers down my spine. I was very nearly stoplossed for 14 months. One of my friends is stoplossed for 16 months. One of my friends died while stoplossed.
But you signed a contract!!!! *eye roll* Y'know how those S-shop shitheads sometimes have this smarmy quote in front of their desks, "Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"? Well, that's how I feel about this whole stoploss business. Poor planning and the little guy gets fucked.
I'm sure you could kick out another 4 posts on stoploss and STILL have some rage left over. And we'll read every one of 'em!
Take care!
-Antigone
Sorry, I've never bought those cheap-ass magnets. I do, however, have a file at the Senate that almost has it's own drawer, I've bitched so much about this war, how they've treated the soldiers, and how they've treated the veterns.
Also, sorry: there is NO WAY in hell that I'm joing up in the military, and in fact, I'm actively encouraging my friends not to (not that a single one of those "It won't happen to me" idiots that they all are are listening to me). Dude, seriously: signing on to have "Property of the US government" stamped on your ass is not the brightest idea in the world.
Antigone -
From one government file to another: Salute!
I support law students.
nathanbutnet.blogspot.com
Good post.
I agree with oneveteran'svoice on the "hollow" ring of the i-support-the-troops mantra. I do appreciate the fact that some folks out there are going out of their way to send goodies and letters to Joe though.
And thankfully when you get home, none of the current anti-war crowd is spitting on you and calling you a baby-killer like they did to our fathers when they returned from Vietnam. You're doing your time AST, and whether you see it this way or not, you are an honorable man. That's more than most can say.
Stay up playa.
U-p atheist,
Do you base your "facts" on one article? Did you read the comments below the article? Let me give you a few examples:
- I was spit upon, I had people throw beer bottles at me from their cars, and I heard Baby Killer many times
- yeah right, not only was my brother in law spat upon on his return from Nam, when he finally got home "the Baby Killer", had to pay 3 xs what was on the cab meter before the sob would drive A Bronze Star winner home!
- He can kiss my Veteran ASS!
I spent the night in a California jail for beating the crap out of a "love child" that spit on me while I was waiting for my duffle bag at the airport luggage carosel.
I ignored the chants, but the spit earned him some extensive dental work and my right boot rearranged his rib cage. I still have the scars on my knuckles from his dislodged teeth..
- Who is this guy kidding??? I distinctly remember marching in a 4th of July parade when I was in the Boy Scouts in 19-73 or 1974 and we were the color guard for the local VFW. The Vets marched according to their service with the Viet Nam vets in the rear and they were jeered and booed and had things thrown at them. Most of the time whoever threw something was confronted by someone else in the crowd and the parade was only a couple of blocks long but it DID happen. I remember at first I was bewildered and then extremely angry. My dad was marching with the Korean Vets and he got a good dose of the hate too and he was fuming.
- My brother committed suicide after his return from Nam. Our family believes one reason was the "welcome" he received when he got home. And I saw people flip him off, turn their backs on him, etc. He told me about spitting and I saw the evidence of bar fights resulting from the name calling.
- jun 70 lax airport ..... all the wonderful california liberals.... vvaw.. spat, through eggs, urine in a bag, fecies, called us everything they could think of.... I wore my uniform home through Atlanta, to Fayetteville, NC. I had it cleaned and it hangs in my closet to this say to remind me of them...
Now, I suppose you will conveniently say they bought into a right-wing worldview, etc., etc. because perhaps they don't share your point of view. Where do I get off? I get off at folks like you who sit nestled in your comfortable home, making judgment calls on a world you can barely comprehend. AST has seen the filth and the stink...he can comment with some perspective. My point to him was that he has earned the right to say the things he does because he not only feels that way, but he has also seen it first hand.
You have a right to make whatever statements you want...I'm not denying that...however, try to widen your perspective on some issues before you make a final judgment.
Hey!!! Cut the crap!!! Where the hell is AST? Hes not posted in a while.....
Shame on TBone? I don't think so. If anybody in America has earned the right to say something, it is an American soldier. True, not all the leftists/liberals are against the troops (Vietnam era or now), but to many are. I personally know a soldier who was spit on in Oregon not to long ago by a treehugger. And what about the military recruiters in Seattle who had water bottles thrown at them a few months ago by an anti-war mob? The people who do that shit are doing a good job at giving the rest of you a bad name. Shame on them.
atheist,
You said: Both that spitter AND TBone should be ashamed. They're both the same type of idiot-- buying into single-sided arguments without considering that the world isn't nearly as black-and-white as they're painting it, and taking their single-mindedness out on those who don't deserve it instead of focusing it only on those who do.
I was starting to like your style for a minute when I heard you were a fellow Southerner...then you let out with this "idiot" thing, and...
I'm very convinced the world isn't black and white. That's why I was asking AST to talk in positive terms once in a while. I also see folks like you and sarah barking and biting like partisan, single-minded automatons on every comment you make; which leads me to believe you guys aren't as objective as you'd like to believe.
I understand the Constitution. You are entitled to free speech, just like every citizen is. My point was that those who have been in the war have a more informed position with which to make their comments. AST has presumably been in "the shit" and continues to put his life on the line for ideals he doesn't necessarily agree with...but he is doing it. He took the time to sign the contract, and has walked the walk that brought him to his current realization. He has the discipline to gear up and do the mission everyday, regardless of the gnawing ache it produces; not only because his chain of command compells him to do it, but because he has the intestinal fortitude to carry on. That is what is called bonifides or credentials. Some have it and some don't. A convenience store clerk can critique brain surgery if he desires, but it doens't make him qualified to do so.
I'm not brainwashed by my chain of command, I assure you that. I say "yes sir" and "no sir" because my southerner father taught me to do that. I have been doing this military shit for too long to be someone elses tool. I know how to "play the game" instead of banging my head against a brick wall.
I sometimes see the injustice and the silliness. I try to correct those errors when they are within my sphere of influence. My current chain of command thinks I'm a pain in the ass because I am constantly critiquing them on their decisions. I see that as my job.
I have been in charge of troops for many years now. I have seen the young ones come in, and I have seen them go. I've lost friends in this war, and have friends who were combat wounded. I think war sucks in general, and many specific parts of this war could have been done differently. Troops, like AST, look at things differently because they aren't empowered in the same way their superiors (or the nasty lifers like me) are. If AST had a different chain of command, perhaps his experience would have been different. Many free-thinking, junior soldiers approach the job from a different point of view. Are they "idiots"? There is some silly saying about monkeys climbing ladders...the ones on the higher rungs look down and see smiling monkey faces...the ones on the lower rungs look up and see alot of monkey assholes above them. I'm right in the middle and see 'em both. I know it's not black and white. I consciously choose to remain positive about things. That tactic makes necessary change possible. Negativity is a disease on the morale of others trying to stay alive and motivated. There are positive ways to express criticism. Good leaders try to help their guys deal with stress and depression. Negative-vibe-merchants hurt more than they help. Gulliver, we'll neeeever make it. Hehe. As individuals we must seek to change what we are able to change. That's why when I read the raging negativity you guys throw out, it makes me kinda funny feeling inside.
Politically, I don't buy into most of the rhetoric I hear on either side. Guys like Dean, Kennedy, and Kerry present the same cartoon-like appearance as some of their counterparts on the right do. I think the goal is to stop aligning ourselves with a party and start aligning ourselves with realistic goals. Ending the war is important. Just pulling out and leaving is not an option right now. There are some serious geo-political consequences to take into consideration before we can come to a decision on that one.
Same thing applies with all this talk about oil, etc. Oil is a real consideration for the USA. I'm convinced oil was a strategic variable in many actions our nation has taken over the years, and rightfully so. Alternative fuels are not a viable option for us now. We rely on petroleum products for many, many things that keep our lives going. Hundreds of thousands of jobs rely on the petroleum industry and its offshoots. Securing the flow of oil not only affects America, but every country in the world. If a country like Saudi Arabia, or Iraq, is taken over by a taliban style government, what would happen to the world economy as a result? Those considerations are in play here. As unsavory as it is to the middle-class, left-thinking idealist it is still a factor policy makers must contend with.
Anyway. Sorry so wordy. I gotta go sharpen my fangs now and get my daily dose of brainwashing. Thanks for listening.
TBone
atheist,
Thanks for the apology. You didn't have to do it, but the fact that you did makes me feel better.
I will also apologize to anyone in here who reads my trash-talk from time to time. I also get emotional about the fate of our nation, but mostly care about folks talking bad about the military. We are overwhelmingly good people, doing good things for others. That's because the military is a microcosm of American society. We are your next-door neighbor, and your relatives. We aren't nazis, and resent people framing us that way.
I agree with many of the points in your comments. The end goal is sound, but the path towards that goal is complex. World opinion is of secondary importance to the strength and sovereignty of our nation. You didn't suggest this, but I am saying that this isn't a popularity contest...plus I don't think the world hates us as much as the press would have you believe. I go to Germany quite often and speak to German folks I know in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, and Munich. They are much less critical of our nation than the press lets on. Go check out David's Medienkritik and see the press reports...then look at who is now the Chancellor. My point is things are not a clear cut as CNN would have us believe.
Note to all of you activists-at-heart: you'll get more traction from your arguments with the Right if you tone down the rhetoric. You have valid points, many driven by an intense love for our Nation; however they will fall on deaf ears if you try to stick in down someone's throat. You get more flies with honey, than you do with vinegar.
Cheers,
TBone
i remember how tight my asshole got when they stoplossed us until 2025 right after 9-11. and then when they tried to stop loss me again...i re-uped for a year and was allowed to go awol for a month! dat showed em.
Mike,
Thank you for taking time out to share your thoughts and for having us on your mind. Much like you're brother-in-law, I get the overwhelming feeling most people just don't really give two shits and when all is said and done, honestly, you think, yeah, why should they care? I think it cuts to the bone on the national security 'emergency' issue. Any emergency that can be trumped by pop media entertainment on any given night doesn't deserve the street credit it's barking up. This is one big ponzy scheme with a few left holding the bag. Man, this story is as old as humanity and from the looks of it it's never changing. I just thank you people, all of you people, whether for, or against, or conflicted, for taking the time to care. To care enough to take the time to share your thoughts, and concerns, and hopes, and frustrations. Thanks for reading and hope your son never, never has to face the option of going through this. Peace.
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